Django Unchained is not one of Tarantino’s best

Grade B-: The only Quentin Tarantino movie I’m not a fan of is Jackie Brown. I’ve watched it several times trying to see what others like about it but just wasn’t able to find anything I dug about the movie myself. I’d also say that the ending of Kill Bill: Vol. 2 drags on a bit too long as well. But his other films, his other films I like very much. I’m even a fan of his film Death Proof no matter what the other critics say.

And while I liked his most current film Django Unchained, I’d say if I were to rank my favorite Tarantino movies from most favorite (Inglourious Basterds) to least (above mentioned Jackie Brown), Django would appear on the list closer to Brown than Basterds.

In Django Unchained, it’s the mid 1800’s and slave Django (Jamie Foxx) teams up with bounty hunter King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) in killing and cashing in rewards for wanted men. But when Schulz learns that Django’s wife is being held on a plantation by owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), the two hatch a plan to save the wife and reunite her with Django.

I think that Tarantino movies work best when he tells lots of little stories interwoven through one larger story. In Pulp Fiction there are stories of Vincent and Jules, Vincent and Mia, Butch and Fabienne… In Inglourious Basterds there are stories of Aldo and his Apaches, Hans Landa and Shosanna, Shosanna and Zoller… But the story of Django Unchained is mostly about Django and King Schultz bounty hunting and working their way around to rescue Django’s wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington).

Compared to Tarantino’s other films, Django Unchained felt a little light and monotonous at times. Still, it’s not a bad movie and is probably one of the best films of ’12, it’s just not one of Tarantino’s best.